Tuesday, March 4, 2014

~Promo Post~ Symbol of Hope by Marisette Burgess

“I love you too much, Kasey. I know I will end up paying for
it.” ~Dion

Heaven, Hell, and Earth are threatened. God has asked the only living
granddaughter of Pandora to help fight off the Greek deities and save his
Earth. Here’s the thing, she never believed in a God and now that she knows one
exists she hates him.

Even though Kasey Reese would love to ignore her duty she is unable to escape
her fate. Personal conflicts, betrayal, and love are the elements that make
this situation dire for Kasey. She is about to embark on a journey with her
love, an immortal saint, that guarantees no happy outcomes.

In this final book, Kasey and Dion will face mythical creatures, Greek deities,
and treachery, but nothing will be as devastating as her possible end. She must
reach inside herself and find qualities like courage, strength, and hope. It is
her time to fulfill her destiny no matter the cost.

I hit the bottom landing in an
awkward position. Was I in Hell? Had he sent me into the volcano? I braced my
feet and stood ready for an attack. The back of my head hit the roof.

“Ow.” I caressed my skull.

I lowered myself to my knees.
Where was I? A hobbit’s hole? I blinked adjusting to the pitch black. The
flicker of orange light from a torch crackled in the still cave. The room was
the size of a bomb shelter with half the height. Directly in front of me a lit
torch hung to the wall. There was a small wooden door to the right of the
torch.

I looked at the tunnel I had
just fallen from. Going back the way I came was not an option. The incline was
too steep.

I proceeded forward on my knees.
I cleared the cobwebs delicately afraid to touch the wood. My heart stilled.

I grazed my fingers against a
beautiful carved roman numeral five. Surrounding the number were drawings of
heinous tortures and agonizing souls. The door held an endless display of
artwork portraying sorrow, death, and fear.

“The door of Orpheus,” I
whispered.

The door that led to Hell. The
Hell of Hate. Was I to open it? There was no other way out of this god-forsaken
hole. I wrapped my fingers around the copper handle. It was freezing cold!

I sucked in a breath but felt my
heart thrash against my chest in a mixture of fear and adrenaline. I hated
venturing into dark unknown places. Especially when I knew that Hell was on the
other side. I released the breath and turned the handle. My fingers slid but
the handle didn’t budge. I tried again harder. Nothing. The door was locked
solid and sealed shut.

I exhaled in relief then pressed
my forehead against the number five and closed my eyes thankful I did not have
to enter Hell.

“Kaasssanddraaa…”

My name slithered off the tongue
of a raspy soft voice. I didn’t have to open my eyes to know who it was. I kept
still trying to control my fear. A chill surged down my spine. I struggled to
calm my racing heart. Vivid memories of his image returned. His monstrous
ghost, flaming Mohawk, body piercings and flame tattoos. I remembered the way
he felt like vermin crawling over my body.

I opened my eyes and against the
door a blue glow radiated from behind me. I gulped the saliva I’d been holding
and turned to face Hades.

About the Author

Teacher, mother, and wife, not in that order. I’m an extreme
Florida girl whose never seen snow. I believe white should be worn at funerals,
not black. Studied at the University of Central Florida for a BA in English. If
I can avoid close-toed shoes, I do. Born from Cuban immigrant parents I spoke
Spanish before I spoke English. If you ever see me staring blankly into
nothing, then my head is in a story.